News Analysis India

Tag: Shazam

  • ‘Aquaman’, ‘Shazam!’ sequels pushed to later release dates

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Warner Bros. seems to be dealing with a delay bug as two of their films ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ and ‘Shazam!: Fury of the Gods’ will release later than planned.

    The studio announced a slew of release date changes on Wednesday (Pacific Standard Time), pushing the ‘Aquaman’ follow-up from March 17, 2023, to December 25, 2023. The ‘Shazam!’ sequel will open on the date previously occupied by Jason Momoa’s hulking King of Atlantis, reports Variety.

    The story about Zachary Levi’s Billy Batson was originally set to land in theatres on December 21, 2022.

    According to Variety, on its new date, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ will debut a few days after Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ spinoff ‘Rogue Squadron’ (December 23, 2023). Meanwhile, ‘Shazam!: Fury of the Gods,’ which was initially set to face off against James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ now has free rein over its new opening weekend

    Plus, a March release date worked well for Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader adventure ‘The Batman’ which collected $770 million globally, another DC Comics film.

    Variety further states that as part of the calendar shuffle, an “untitled WB event film” has landed on February 10, 2023, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ has been scheduled for April 4, 2023, and ‘The Conjuring’ spinoff sequel ‘The Nun 2’ will be released on September 8, 2023.

    ‘Salem’s Lot’, which was slated for April 21, 2023, is being moved to a to-be-announced date in the same year.

    LOS ANGELES: Warner Bros. seems to be dealing with a delay bug as two of their films ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ and ‘Shazam!: Fury of the Gods’ will release later than planned.

    The studio announced a slew of release date changes on Wednesday (Pacific Standard Time), pushing the ‘Aquaman’ follow-up from March 17, 2023, to December 25, 2023. The ‘Shazam!’ sequel will open on the date previously occupied by Jason Momoa’s hulking King of Atlantis, reports Variety.

    The story about Zachary Levi’s Billy Batson was originally set to land in theatres on December 21, 2022.

    According to Variety, on its new date, ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ will debut a few days after Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ spinoff ‘Rogue Squadron’ (December 23, 2023). Meanwhile, ‘Shazam!: Fury of the Gods,’ which was initially set to face off against James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ now has free rein over its new opening weekend

    Plus, a March release date worked well for Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader adventure ‘The Batman’ which collected $770 million globally, another DC Comics film.

    Variety further states that as part of the calendar shuffle, an “untitled WB event film” has landed on February 10, 2023, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ has been scheduled for April 4, 2023, and ‘The Conjuring’ spinoff sequel ‘The Nun 2’ will be released on September 8, 2023.

    ‘Salem’s Lot’, which was slated for April 21, 2023, is being moved to a to-be-announced date in the same year.

  • Dwayne Johnson reveals he lobbied to get Black Adam removed from DC’s 2017 ‘Shazam!’ film

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has revealed that if it wasn’t for him the titular character that he’ll play in ‘Black Adam’ could’ve debuted in 2019’s ‘Shazam!’, had Warner Bros. went ahead with its original plan.

    According to Variety, the ‘Shazam!’ movie went into development in 2014 and its script originally included origin stories for both the title character and Black Adam.

    Both the super-powered fictional individuals have a shared history in the DC comics, so it seemed fitting to launch their big screen iterations together in one film. However, Johnson disagreed with this.

    Speaking about this to Vanity Fair magazine, Johnson said, “When the first draft of the movie came to us, it was a combination of Black Adam and Shazam: Two origin stories in one movie.”

    “Now that was the goal, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But when I read that, I just knew in my gut, ‘We can’t make this movie like this. We would be doing Black Adam an incredible disservice.’ It would’ve been fine for Shazam having two origin stories converge in one movie, but not good for Black Adam,” he added.

    The world needed a hero, it got #BLACKADAM Only in theaters October 21. pic.twitter.com/xGLDKA9gFk
    — Black Adam Movie (@blackadammovie) June 8, 2022
    Revealing how he fixed the situation, Johnson continued, “I made a phone call. I said, ‘I have to share my thoughts here. It’s very unpopular…’ because everybody thought, ‘Hey, this script is great, let’s go make this movie.’ I said, ‘I really think that you should make ‘Shazam!,’ make that movie on its own in the tone that you want. And I think we should separate this as well.’”

    As per Variety, Warner Bros. ultimately agreed, and now Johnson will be seen leading the upcoming standalone ‘Black Adam’ tentpole this fall. The actor has repeatedly promised moviegoers that his ‘Black Adam’ movie will forever change the DC universe on the big screen.

    Joining Johnson in the film are Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari and Pierce Brosnan. ‘Black Adam’ is set to release in theatres on October 21, 2022.

    WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has revealed that if it wasn’t for him the titular character that he’ll play in ‘Black Adam’ could’ve debuted in 2019’s ‘Shazam!’, had Warner Bros. went ahead with its original plan.

    According to Variety, the ‘Shazam!’ movie went into development in 2014 and its script originally included origin stories for both the title character and Black Adam.

    Both the super-powered fictional individuals have a shared history in the DC comics, so it seemed fitting to launch their big screen iterations together in one film. However, Johnson disagreed with this.

    Speaking about this to Vanity Fair magazine, Johnson said, “When the first draft of the movie came to us, it was a combination of Black Adam and Shazam: Two origin stories in one movie.”

    “Now that was the goal, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But when I read that, I just knew in my gut, ‘We can’t make this movie like this. We would be doing Black Adam an incredible disservice.’ It would’ve been fine for Shazam having two origin stories converge in one movie, but not good for Black Adam,” he added.

    The world needed a hero, it got #BLACKADAM Only in theaters October 21. pic.twitter.com/xGLDKA9gFk
    — Black Adam Movie (@blackadammovie) June 8, 2022
    Revealing how he fixed the situation, Johnson continued, “I made a phone call. I said, ‘I have to share my thoughts here. It’s very unpopular…’ because everybody thought, ‘Hey, this script is great, let’s go make this movie.’ I said, ‘I really think that you should make ‘Shazam!,’ make that movie on its own in the tone that you want. And I think we should separate this as well.’”

    As per Variety, Warner Bros. ultimately agreed, and now Johnson will be seen leading the upcoming standalone ‘Black Adam’ tentpole this fall. The actor has repeatedly promised moviegoers that his ‘Black Adam’ movie will forever change the DC universe on the big screen.

    Joining Johnson in the film are Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari and Pierce Brosnan. ‘Black Adam’ is set to release in theatres on October 21, 2022.

  • Dwayne Johnson wraps filming for ‘Black Adam’

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Production on Dwayne Johnson-led DC anti-hero movie “Black Adam” has concluded, the Hollywood star said.

    Taking to Twitter, Johnson gave a shout out to the team of “Black Adam” and said shooting for the film was an “incredible journey”.

    “That a wrap on ‘Black Adam’. Incredible journey. Hardest undertaking of my entire career physically & mentally. Worth every second,” the Hollywood star tweeted on Friday.

    “Boundless gratitude to my 1,000+ crew members, actors and director, Jaume Collet-Serra. The hierarchy of power in DC Universe is changing,” he added.

    That a wrap on BLACK ADAMIncredible journey.Hardest undertaking of my entire career physically & mentally.Worth every second.Boundless gratitude to my 1,000+ crew members, actors and director, Jaume Collet-Serra.The hierarchy of power in DC Universe is changing.BA https://t.co/adjLrimOYS
    — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 16, 2021

    “Black Adam” is a spin-off from Warner Bros and New Line Cinema’s “Shazam!”, featuring Zachary Levi.

    The character first appeared in DC Comics in the 1940s as a villain corrupted by power.

    He became an anti-hero in the early 2000s.

    Jaume Collet-Serra, who has directed Johnson in the upcoming “Jungle Cruise”, has directed “Black Adam”.

    The movie also features Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Dr Fate.

    Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani wrote the latest draft of the script, from a previous draft by Adam Sztykiel.

    Johnson has also produced the movie with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn through FlynnPictureCo.

  • Lucy Liu joins ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ as villain Kalyspo

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: “Why Women Kill” star Lucy Liu has been roped in to play villain Kalyspo in DC Comics adaptation “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”.

    Kalyspo is the sister of villainous Hespera, to be played by veteran actor Helen Mirren in the film.

    In the comics, Hespera and Kalyspo are introduced as the daughters of the Greek god Atlas, who is one of the sources of Shazam’s powers.

    The superhero holds the stamina of Atlas, as well as the power of Zeus, the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Solomon, the speed of Mercury and the courage of Achilles.

    According to The Hollywood Reproter, Zachary Levi will return as the titular superhero for the movie, which is a sequel to 2019 hit “Shazam!”.

    David F Sandberg, who helmed the first part, is also coming back to direct the sequel from a screenplay by Henry Gayden.

    The follow-up will continue the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “Shazam!” is struck by the Living Lightning of the gods and transformed into his adult superhero alter ego, Shazam.

    Actor Asher Angel will reprise his role of teenager Billy Batson.

    Newcomer Rachel Zegler, who is set to make her screen debut as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s take on classic movie “West Side Story”, will also feature in the upcoming movie in a key role.

    “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” will be produced by Peter Safran through The Safran Company.

    The film is scheduled for a June 2023 release.

  • Actor Helen Mirren to play villain in ‘Shazam: Fury Of The Gods’

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: British actor Helen Mirren has been signed on to play the role of villain in the upcoming New Line and DC Films’ ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’, the sequel to the box office hit ‘Shazam!’.

    According to Deadline, Mirren will portray the role of Hespera, a daughter of Atlas in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, which will continue the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!” is struck by the Living Lightning of the gods and transformed into his adult superhero alter ego.

    Levi will be reprising his role as the kid-at-heart superhero who is bestowed with the powers of six gods: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.

    While Shazam is a formidable champion, Billy is still just a fun-loving kid trying to navigate high school while learning how to use his powers.

    The same team which was behind the filmmaking of ‘Shazam!’ will be reuniting to create the sequel. David F. Sandberg will direct the movie from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Peter Safran will be producing through The Safran Company.

    The movie based on the DC character created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck was the No. 1 film worldwide on its opening weekend in 2019. It went on to earn over USD 366 million worldwide on a relatively modest budget for a superhero film.

    As per Deadline, Mirren won an Oscar and a BAFTA for her performance in ‘The Queen’, a Tony Award and an Olivier Award for the same role in ‘The Audience’, three BAFTA Television Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and five SAG Awards for various roles.

    Her diverse body of work includes a starring role in the upcoming anthology series ‘Solos’ as well as the film ‘F9’, reprising her role as Queenie from the latest Fast and Furious installment.

  • Rachel Zegler joins Zachary Levi in Shazam sequel ‘Fury of the Gods’

    By Express News Service
    DC Films and New Line’s Shazam: Fury of the Gods, a sequel to 2019 hit Shazam!, has roped in actor Rachel Zegler for a key role. The movie is the second major project for Zegler, who is set to make her screen debut as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s take on the classic West Side Story.

    The details of Zegler’s character have been kept under wraps as of now. Shazam: Fury of the Gods will mark the return of actor Zachary Levi as the titular superhero. David F Sandberg, who helmed the first part, is also coming back to direct the sequel from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan.’

    The follow-up will continue the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word Shazam! is struck by the Living Lightning of the gods and transformed into his superhero alter ego, Shazam. 

  • Henry Cavill’s Superman not part of Shazam sequel

    By Express News Service
    While it was previously speculated that Henry Cavill’s Superman will be a part of the upcoming Shazam sequel, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, it’s now confirmed the Man of Steel will not be seen in the sequel. The film’s director David F. Sandberg took to Twitter to address the rumours making the rounds.

    The tweet read, “Not going to comment on casting rumours for several reasons. One being you can’t be sure about anything until it’s happened. Halfway through shooting Shazam the plan was still for Cavill to be in it.

    Scoopers could have scooped that and been right at the time but wrong in the end.” He also added, “Though I can confirm with 90 per cent certainty that Shazam will appear in Shazam 2. So if you’re a fan of that character you might enjoy Shazam 2.”

    Actor Zachary Levi will reprise the titular character in the film that also stars Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Meagan Good, and Faithe Herman. The sequel was scheduled to release in April 2022 but because of the Covid breakout, it has been pushed further.

  • Apple Is Offering New Users a Five-Month Free Apple Music Subscription via Shazam

    Apple is offering new Apple Music users a free five-month subscription via Shazam as part of a special holiday offer. The offer applies to new Apple Music users in India, Australia, Canada, the US, and some other countries. It is valid till January 17, 2021. In order to avail of the offer, users are required to download Shazam and use it identify any song. This will lead to an option to play the song on Apple Music where you can find the deal offering five months of free Apple Music.

    The offer applies to iOS users who haven’t used Apple Music’s streaming service so far. Apple mentioned the holiday offer on Shazam’s App Store page. The offer is valid for new Apple Music users in Australia, Canada, India, the US, the UK, and some other countries till January 17, 2021.

    As per a report by 9to5Mac, users have also mentioned finding a banner in Shazam’s settings, where the extended Apple Music trial period is being offered. Apple had acquired Shazam, one of the world’s most popular music recognition mobile apps, back in 2018.